Padma Lakshmi Founds Endometriosis Foundation of America

Padma Lakshmi has made a full recovery from her battle with endometriosis, and she’s decided to raise awareness for the condition by co-founding the Endometriosis Foundation of America with the doctor who treated her.

Endometriosis is a women’s condition that affects fertility. According to Dr. Tamer Seckin, who treated Padma Lakshmi and is the co-founder of the Endometriosis Foundation of America, it’s one of the most prevalent diseases that affects reproductive health.

“It’s a very personal issue,” Padma Lakshmi told People. “It has to do with the most private aspect of a woman’s life, and when I had to have surgery, I had to miss work and explain why. I just found that in talking to people, not many people knew what it was.”